Recording The History Of Your Family Business, Part 1

For family businesses considering recording their histories, the
first and most important step is to determine what its purpose is.
Once that's established, you need to decide the following:

Form. The purpose will likely determine whether the book
is going to be a memoir, history or chronicle. The difference in
the three forms is subtle but important. A memoir is a personal
reflection, usually written by the founder. The stories the writer
tells reflect the underlying themes and values he or she thinks are
important.

A history is a more objective approach to the growth of the
business and requires extensive interviews with family members,
long-term employees, business associates and people who've made
contributions to the business's development. It means searching
through company records, minutes and documents to make historical
references as accurate as possible. It contains fewer personal
observations and is more often used for employees and customers
than as a value statement for the family.

Finally, a chronicle is a story of a series of events-sometimes
business milestones, such as the day you reached the $1 million
annual sales mark, and sometimes family milestones, such as the
first day a member of the third generation began working for the
company. The chronicle can be written from a number of perspectives
and combines some of the elements of both a memoir and a
history.

Documentation. Once you've determined the purpose
and the form, the next step is to pull the pieces together.
Documentation and visual materials are important as you put the
book together. The facts are especially important when you include
a timeline as part of the history.